KEY POINTS:
At this time of a competition - six rounds gone, four left - teams generally start getting out the calculators.
Not Auckland. They lead the one-day State Shield with 21 points, five clear of Otago, whom they meet in a crucial seventh-round clash at University Oval in Dunedin tomorrow.
Win it and they will be at least seven points clear in a competition in which the top team after the round robin hosts the final against the winner of a playoff between second and third.
Auckland beat Otago in last season's final in Dunedin in a low-scoring match. But Auckland coach Mark O'Donnell is refusing to try and do any sums to see what needs to be achieved to finish top.
"You can get too far ahead. We should worry about the ball coming down now," O'Donnell said yesterday.
There is another interesting quirk to the competition.
The team who qualify straight to the final will have an 11-day layoff between their final round robin match and the decider.
The teams playing the preliminary final have a seven-day break.
Four of the last five shield finals have been won by the team finishing second or third after the round robin.
Auckland's chances of winning tomorrow will be enhanced if Lou Vincent maintains his superb run of form.
Since returning for the last two Twenty20 games - having taken a break after the New Zealand tour of South Africa and Australia - Vincent has peeled off scores of 76 from 44 balls against Wellington, 58 off 22 against Central Districts, and 72 off 63 against Wellington again on Wednesday.
The pitch at University Oval sounds good - Otago belted 321 for five in beating CD down there this week, with fast centuries from opener Aaron Redmond and England pro Alex Gidman.
In other games tomorrow, Canterbury host Central Districts and Wellington play Northern Districts at the Basin Reserve.
Points after six rounds: Auckland 21, Otago 16, Central Districts 14, Canterbury 9, Wellington 9, Northern Districts 8.
OTAGO V AUCKLAND
University Oval, Dunedin, noon tomorrow
Otago (likely): Craig Cumming (c), Aaron Redmond, Greg Todd, Neil Broom, Alex Gidman, Nathan McCullum, Derek de Boorder, Marcel McKenzie, Bradley Scott, Warren McSkimming, James McMillan.
Auckland (from): Richard Jones (c), Lou Vincent, Martin Guptill, Rob Nicol, Colin de Grandhomme, David Houpapa, Gareth Hopkins, Andre Adams, Daryl Tuffey, Roneel Hira, Michael Bates, Andy McKay.
